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Is Your Old Pension Still Good Value? What the FCA’s 2026 Review Means for Savers
If you’ve had the same pension for 15 or 20 years, you might assume that no news is good news. After all, it’s still growing, statements arrive every year, and you haven’t had to think about it. Job done… right? Not necessarily. In July 2026 Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a review of certain unit-linked […]
Posted in Pensions
Why New Fixed Mortgage Rates Can Rise Even When Bank Rate Doesn’t
If you already have a fixed-rate mortgage, your agreed interest rate and contractual payments will not normally change during the fixed period. What can change is the pricing of new fixed mortgage deals available to homebuyers and people preparing to remortgage. When the Bank of England announces that it’s holding Bank Rate, many borrowers assume […]
Posted in Mortgage
Why Protection Insurance Deserves a Place in Your Financial Plan
Most of us buy insurance hoping we’ll never have to use it. Whether it’s life insurance, critical illness cover or income protection, the ideal outcome is that the policy simply sits in the background, providing peace of mind while life carries on as normal. But the latest industry figures tell an important story. In 2025, […]
Posted in Insurance
Don’t Let House Envy Derail Your Home Buying Plans
Buying your first home is an exciting milestone, but it can also feel quite overwhelming. Recent research found that almost three-quarters of first-time buyers experience “house envy”, with many admitting they compare their own budget to the homes they see online. It’s easy to understand why. Every day we’re surrounded by beautifully renovated kitchens, dream […]
Posted in Mortgage
Pension Myth: You Don’t Have to Take Your Tax-Free Cash Straight Away
For many people approaching retirement, one assumption seems almost universal: once you can access your pension, you should take your tax-free cash straight away. It’s advice that’s often shared between friends, family members and colleagues, but it’s also one of the biggest misconceptions about retirement planning. While taking tax-free cash may be the right decision […]
Posted in Pensions
Why Great Innovations Don’t Always Make Great Investments
Imagine you could go back in time and invest before railways transformed Britain, before the internet reshaped the global economy or before smartphones became part of everyday life. You’d almost certainly make a fortune… wouldn’t you? History suggests the answer isn’t quite so simple. Many investors assume that identifying the next breakthrough technology is the […]
Posted in Investments
Why More Homeowners Are Choosing Stability Over Chasing the Lowest Mortgage Rate
For years, many borrowers approached mortgages with one main goal: finding the absolute lowest rate possible. And for a long time, that made sense. When rates were historically low, even small differences between deals could feel important, and switching regularly became common practice for many homeowners. But in 2026, attitudes are starting to shift. Increasingly, […]
Posted in Mortgage
The Investment Mistake That Often Happens After a Good Year
When investments perform well for a while, confidence naturally starts to grow. Portfolio values rise, headlines become more optimistic and suddenly investing can begin to feel a little easier than it did during more uncertain periods. That’s completely understandable. But interestingly, some of the biggest investing mistakes often happen after markets have already performed strongly, […]
Posted in Investments
Why More Professionals Are Sleepwalking Into the £100k Tax Trap
For many professionals, earning six figures once felt like a major financial milestone. But increasingly, people crossing the £100,000 income mark are finding themselves asking the same question: “Why doesn’t it actually feel like I’m taking home that much more?” The answer often comes down to something many people don’t realise exists until they’re already […]
Posted in Financial Planning
Retirement Is Lasting Longer – Is Your Financial Plan Built for a 30-Year Retirement?
For previous generations, retirement was often relatively short and straightforward. You stopped working, drew your pension, slowed down a little and lived comfortably for another decade or so. Today, things look very different. People are living longer, staying active later in life and in some cases retiring earlier than previous generations. As a result, it’s […]
Posted in Retirement Planning